Roofing



y 39, 1929- o. A. HEPPES I 1,722,962

Filed Sept. 8, 1923 Patented July 30, 1 929.

UNITED STATES QTTO A. HEPPES, OF LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE F BOSTQN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 01 PATENT @FFlCE.

FLINTKOTE GOMEANY, MASSAGHUSETTS.

P OOFIN'G.

Application filed September This invention relates to roofing more particularly of somewhat flexible material such as is commonly made of fibrous sheet material saturated with waterproofing material such as asphalt and coated with high melting point asphalt with or without a surface of granular material such as crushed slate. Where such material is laid in superposed overlapping courses any depending tabs or pro jections exposed to the weather are liable, due to the flexible nature of the material, to become raised from the roof as by wind or accidental curling or warping of the material, impairing the appearance of the roof, and if pronounced, its weatherproofing capabilities. These tabs or projections are also liable when raised to be torn oil or otherwise damaged. This action is particularly liable to occur when comparatively large substantially square shingles are laid diagonally on the roof, exposing to the weather all but comparatively narrow marginal portions along their upper converging edges.

According to the present invention, means,

which in the preferred form may be composed oi roofing material similar to that from which the roofing units are made, are provided for anchoring the lower corner of each unit down to the roof without driving nails or other, fasteners therethrough or otherwise impairing the weatherproofing qualities of the roof.

According to the present invention, also, each anchoring means comprises a member engageable with the lower corner of the shingle of one course and the upper corner of a shingle two courses below in overlapping series, the latter course being held firmly to the roof by the overlapping corners of the intermediate course.

For a more complete understanding of this invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents in plan one of the roof ing units which as shown is square.

Fi ure 2 represents a plan of a retaining mem er formed of roofing material.

Figure 3 represents a plan of a retaining member which may be formed oi wire.

Figure 4 represents a partial plan of a roof showing units such as are indicated in Figure 1 laid in position, the retaining member such as that shown in Figure 2 being em- 8, 1923. Serial No. 661,571.

ployed to tie the lower corners of the shingle units down to the roof.

Figure 5 is a detail section through the roof on line 55 of Figure 4:.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail plans of the intersecting corner portions of the units showmg the retainer of Figure 3 in use in relatively inverted positions.

Figure 8 illustrates certain corners of the units partly cut away to better engage the retainer member.

Figure 9 illustrates another form of wire retainer.

Figure 10 represents a. fragmentary portion of a roof showing shingles out as indicated in Figure 8 and laid with connecting units such as are illustrated in Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the roofing units 1 formed of somewhat flexible sheet material of square shape are laid in overlapping horizontal courses, each being diagonally positioned on the roof so as to present 7 corners in upper, lower and lateral positions as at a, Z) and '0, respectively. Each course of shingle elements have their adjacent lateral corners a substantially in contact while their lower converging edges 2 and 3 overlie the upper converging edges 4: and 5 of the shingle elements of the course below.

The upper corner a of each element of this lower course, therefore, extends above the contacting corners c of the overlying course and furnish means by which the lower corners of the next succeeding overlying course may be attached in position. This may be accomplished by retainers such as shown detached in Figures 2 and 3. The form shown in Figure 2 comprises asheet, herein shown as square, of roofing material 10, preferably of the same construction as the roofing elements 1, which as before noted may comprise fibrous sheet material such as rag felt saturated with asphalt, coated with a high melting point or blown asphalt, with or without a granular surfacing material such as ground slate, so as to present a uniform appearance therewith. These elements may be made of waste material and hence should not add materially to the costof the roof. As shown each element has a pair of spaced slots 11 and 12, one or both of which may be straight as slot 12 is shown, or inwardly turned at 15 its ends as the slot 11 is shown. The inwardly turned ends are for the purpose of facilitating a close engagement between the retainer and the edges of the shingle element. One of these slots is positioned so as to permit the upper corner a of the shingle to project therethrough while the other slot 12 is in position to receive the lower corner of a shinle element of the second course removed rom that over which the retaining element is placed. This is clearly shown in Figure 4 in which a course of shingles is indicated at 20, a superposed course at 21 and a third course at 22. It will be noted that the lower corners of the units in the course 22 are engaged in the retaining elements supported on the upper corner of the elements in course 20, the course 21 being interposed therebetween. Each roofing element or shingle is attached to the roof as by nails driven through adjacent the corners c where they will be overlapped by the overlying course. These nails, therefore, hold the underlying course of shingle elements closely to the roof since their upper corners pass beneath the corners 0. v The upper end of the shingle retaining element therefore is closely held to the roof and consequently as its lower end engages the lower corner of the superposed shingle element this is also held down to the roof by its attachment to an element of a non-contiguous underlying course.

In place of the retaining element formed of roofing material it may be formed otherwise if desired, as for example in Figure 3, it is shown as made of wire having an intermediate loop portion 14: adapted to be engaged either over the upper corner of a shingle ele ment, as shown in Figure 7, or the lower cornor of a shingle element as shown in Figure 6. Intermediate portions of the wire are twisted together and its ends are separated and bent to form a pair of spaced hooks 15 which may be engaged about the corners of the roofing elements, either the lower corner as shown in Figure 7, or the upper corner as shown in Figure 6.

The retaining element may also comprise a rectangular loop as shown at 20 in Figures 8 and 9, one end of the loop being hooked back of the upper corner of the lower shingle and the other end being passed forwardly of the lower corner of the upper shingle.

In both forms of retaining element the portions which engage the shingles form openings to receive the corners thereof and the lower end of each shingle element is held 1n position by a retainer engaging the upper corner of a shingle in the second course below.

If desired the lower or upper corners, or both, of the shingle elements may be out out at either side as shown in Figure 8 at 17 1n order to form a portion interfitting more closely with the socket portions of the retainers than where the corner is uncut. The

1,7aaeea extreme end of the corner may also be cut away as at 18 so as not to project materially below the lower end of the retainer, this form of shingle corner being particularly adapted for the retainer shown in Figure 2 in which the strip of material below the lowest slot passes over the corner above the cut away portion and throughthe cutouts.

Having thus described certain embodiments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made therein without departing from its spirit or scope as defined by. the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a roof comprising overlapping course of substantially rectangular units arranged diagonally, of means supported entirely by the upper corner of a unit of one course and engaging the lower corner of the unit of a superposed course on its outer face to retain said latter corner flat against the roof.

2. The combination with a roof comprising overlapping courses of substantially rectangular units arranged diagonally, of means supported entirely by a corner or a unit of one course and engagin the lower corner of a unit of a superpose course on its outer face to retain said latter corner flat against the roof.

3. The combination with a roof comprising overlapping courses of substantially rectangular units arranged diagonally, of a shingle retaining member having apair of spaced openings, a corner of a unit of one course engageable in one opening, and a corner of a unit of a superposed course engageable in the other opening.

4. The combination with a roof comprising overlap ing courses of roofing units composed o 'fiexible sheet material, of means for retaining exposed portions of said units against the roof, comprising pieces of said flexible material formed in fiat condition to interengage with said exposed ortions and unexposed portions of an under ying course.

5. The combination with a root comprising overlapping courses of substantially rectangular units arranged diagonally, of means supported-entirely by a corner of a unit of one course and engaging a corner of a unit of a superposed course on its outer face, to retain said latter corner fiat against the roof.

6. A single retaining element comprising a piece of sheet material having a pair of spaced openings therethrough to receive portions of a pair of shingles.

7. A shingle retaining element comprising a piece of sheet material havin a pair of spaced slots therethrough to receive portions of a pair of shingles, at least one of said slots having its ends inwardly inclined.

8. The combination with a roof comprising overlapping courses of rectangular shingles a portion passing over said corner above said of sheet material, diagonally arranged, the cut away portion of a shingle and passin lower corner of each shingle being cut away through said cutouts to the under face of the 10 and having cutouts ateach side of said out shingle.

5 away portion, of an element for retaining In testimony whereofIhave aflixed my sigsa-id corner against the roof. said element nature.

comprising a piece of sheet material having OTTO A. HEPPES. 

